in the kitchen with: the best of gluten-free

This week I decided to do another round-up from our archives, partly in response to a reader request, partly to continue showcasing what’s in our archives and partly to take stock of what we’ve done and what we should do more of. Halfway through the archives, I realized that a seasonal-outdoorsy-fun-with-friends theme was emerging. So I have chosen eleven of my favorite gluten-free items from the archives, which represent summer in quite a few aspects including seasonality and outdoor cooking in nice weather. Please keep the requests coming! We will work very hard to fill them. — Kristina

Speaking of barbecue, a friend of mine was talking about how expensive it is to buy prepared meats for large gatherings, so I gave her Ming Thompson’s recipe for Oven-Made Pulled Pork and Slaw. My friend came back the next week and said how amazing the pulled pork was and that it was so easy and budget-friendly, she will never ever buy pulled pork again. Me either. Super job, Ming!

This recipe for Shrimp Tacos and Spiced Peach Jam comes from another southern kitchen, that of Cheryl and Griffith Day, owners of Back in the Day Bakery in Savannah, Georgia. Most of my In the Kitchen With recipe tests involve an argument with my husband, and this was no different. He ate the entire recipe by himself when I turned my back to edit the pictures. Be sure to protect your tacos when you make them. They are so good, they will most certainly disappear if you don’t!

Photographer and blogger Giao Trac shared two gluten-free recipes with us, both wildly popular with our readers. This one for Vietnamese Spring Rolls was the first recipe Giao shared, and it remains one of my favorites. When serving these, you have many options for the filling. These would be perfect for a DIY station at your next entertaining event.

Roast chicken is kind of winter fare, but it says togetherness to me, and I think cold chicken is perfect for picnics, so I thought I’d include this in the round-up. Food stylist Molly Shuster and photographer Jamie Beck worked together on this Herb-Roasted Chicken, which looks so good that I want to take a bite off the screen.

Journalist Deena Prichep shared a simple recipe with us last year for Roasted Figs with Honey, Rosemary and Dolcelatte, a type of gorgonzola. I’m not a fan of either, but I loved the two together. You might have to wait a bit longer to find the perfect figs, but when you do, you’ll be really glad you tried this recipe!

Chef and locavore Amy Cotler was adamant when sharing her recipe for Strawberry Yogurt Soup that I not approach this with substitutions in mind. She said that eating seasonally means accepting that once a fruit or vegetable’s season is over, you wait again until next year. That idea has taken over my brain, and I have learned to savor the seasons as they come. Strawberries are still around, so you can continue to enjoy this soup in 2012! I acknowledge in advance that I made a bit of a mess when I photographed this, but I hope that doesn’t take away from your desire to try it.

Top Chef Spike Mendelsohn must be some sort of milkshake genius because when I tried this Almond Joy Milkshake (and believe me, I had to keep trying and trying them as they melted), I couldn’t believe how much it tasted like an Almond Joy (or a Bounty with an almond in it). Making this was the highlight of my summer, and it can be the highlight of yours and your friends’ summer, too. It’s so easy to make, there’s no excuse not to serve it at your next barbecue!

Author, entrepreneur and one of the nicest women in France (by way of Ireland), Trish Deseine took time out of her growing chocolate empire and cookbook writing to share a recipe with our readers. I was skeptical at first — white chocolate, lemongrass and passion fruit? But I was seriously surprised to taste how wonderful these flavors were together. (I should never have doubted any recipe written by Trish.) If you ever have to pull together a dinner with limited time, or even if you have a lot of time, this White Chocolate Soup with lemongrass and passion fruit nectar is a cinch.

These look great! Unfortunately most of these recipes have other ingredients in them that I can’t have, but I really appreciate the focus on gluten free. For anyone looking for more recipes for those of us with dietary restrictions, I highly recommend Elana’s Pantry:

This is such a helpful roundup Kristina! Thanks for sharing – though now I think I’m in danger of having a weekend filled with strawberry and white chocolate soup :S I feel a girls desert night coming on…

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